Gifts In The Chinese And American Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Gifts In The Chinese And American Culture - Essay Example There are many things that you should know before giving a gift to a Chinese person.There are many things that you should know before giving a gift to a Chinese person.1. Unacceptable gifts in the Chinese culture. Clocks: Do not give a clock to a Chinese person because it is associated with death. It means that it will soon be time for you to die.b. Book: Do not give a book to a Chinese person because giving a book means that you are delivering a defeat.c. Umbrella: Do not give an umbrella as a gift to a Chinese person because giving it means that the family of the gift receiver is going to break up. Fans: Avoid giving a fan. US-China business solution Website states that a Chinese bride gives fans to her parents, which symbolizes that she is leaving them for her husband. Therefore a fan symbolizes separation.2. Acceptable gifts in the Chinese culture.a. Cognac. Fine whiskeys. Quality wines. Giving banquet is the most respectable gift in the Chinese workplace environment.  Transiti on: Giving gifts in China could be a sensitive issue.1. When to give in China?When you are giving a gift in China it is better to do it privately or to everyone at one time.2. Things you should know before giving a gift.a. ColorsRed and pink mean respectively good luck, wealth, happiness while white and green means death, funerals.b. MannersPresent your gift with two arms and the receiver will do the same.Transition: Now that we have discussed the gift-giving in the Chinese culture, let compare it to the American culture which is less complex.B. Appropriateness and timing are very important while giving a gift in the American workplace environment.1. TimingGifts should never be given in the following situation: a. During the process of bidding. The waiting period for contract renewals. During negotiation.Gifts could be given in the following situation: a. Special occasions (Christmas, the birth of a child, death in a family).b. Recognizing an employee  c. As a token of gratitude.2 . Unacceptable and acceptable gifts in the American workplace environment; a. cash, jewelry, and expensive gifts are unacceptable.b.bottle of wine, the gift card of small value, pen, a basket of fruit or cheese.Transition: The points I mentioned earlier cover the proper and professional ways to give and receive gifts in the Chinese and American workplace culture. Let me review them for you.

Gender Roles in Society Essay Example for Free

Gender Roles in Society Essay What is gender role? Gender roles can be linked closely to the Bible as the relations between men and women as both intuitive and sensual. Biologically gender is not determined; however, as a result of sexual characteristics of either men or women, it is established socially. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations gender is a central organizing principle of societies, and often governs the processes of production and reproduction, consumption and distribution. Gender issues focus on women and on the relationship between men and women, their roles, access to and control over resources, division of labor, interests and needs. Gender relations influence family well-being, household security, planning, production and many other aspects of life including the way we think or feel according to one’s gender. For this reason the definition of gender role today should be revised and predefined because the meaning it once had is no longer comparable with the Bible. Many countries have experienced huge turmoil and revising of its traditional gender roles within the last generation. These changes in gender roles affect the home, the workplace, and the school, plus they affect all walks of life to some degree. Gender role is a commonly discussed subject in society and many may argue about the true role of a man or a woman. Society and culture are also very important in relation to this subject. This means different societies and cultures may produce children and later, grown men and women, who have quite different views of a man or a womans place in the world around them, often determined by their cultures gender stereotypes. Gender roles are attached to persons according to their gender. So, what are men’s and womens roles in society? Should they be equal or do they have well defined roles they should play? In this day and age, people like to be intolerant by attempting to make the two sexes equal. Most people feel that it is unfair to say that women can do certain activities better than men and men can do other activities better than women but God actually made men and women differently and has given them different roles in life and society. God has made men and women to fit certain roles He has defined. The Bible talks a lot about Gods roles for men and women. Genesis, the first book of the Bible, talks about Creation and how sin entered the world. When God created everything, it was perfect and good. Right after Adam and Eve disobeyed God, God kicked them out of the perfect place he had made for them called the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:16-19 says: To the woman He said, I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you shall bring forth children; yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. Then to Adam He said, Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread. This is God’s first example of roles to women and men. It was meant for men to take care of land and work it for food to provide for his family and women would bear children and take care of them and raise them while their husband worked. Again, a man and woman’s role is well defined in a home. They are both made for each other and to grow strong as one. A woman has quite a unique role to fill. She is made as a companion for her husband because without a wife a man is alone and she is the only one who can provide the companionship needs. She should give her husband affection because he needs it just as she needs it also and only she may know the husband in such a way to provide the kind of affection he needs. A wife is there to give physical needs because God made man and woman to rely on one another. Also a woman should bear children for her husband to make a family that they can all love and appreciate. Most mothers spend more time with her children and her influence on their character development is great because they see her the most. Lastly, every woman should be a keeper at home and this requires diligence and the kind of care only women can provide. It is a place of honor among God and His people. â€Å"A woman should be a guard, and ruler and keeper of the affairs of the home† (Prov. 31:13-15). There is nothing wrong with a woman working, as long as it is done in the right way it is honorable. All women, whether married or not, can look to the worthy woman for guidance for living godly lives. In God’s pattern we do not see slavery, but freedom, honor, and true beauty. However, all women shall strive to fulfill their God given roles in their own families, so as to gain honor for themselves, for their families, and for God. In addition, a man’s role in society differs quite differently from a woman. The man is the key to making the family work the way God intended. God puts the responsibility of having a Biblical family on the man. On top of that, men are under a lot of job pressure because of the failing economy which makes it harder to provide for the family. Many men never had a role model in their home. There should be Godly men helping their off springs to become who they ought to be for the glory of God. Men should love their family as Jesus loved the church; he is to also love the members of his family as he loves his body. He is to nourish it. He is to cherish it. He is to take care of it. Thats the way God wants a man to love his family. Eph. 5:23 says, â€Å"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church and the Savior of the body. † Notice that it didnt say the head over the wife; it said the head of the wife. It is not dictatorship. A man is not the dictator in the family but the man is to protect and provide for his family. Being a good provider is not enough as men have a spiritual responsibility. They should get their family in church each Sunday and take every opportunity to help them learn about Jesus Christ and to grow in their relationship with Him. Men should obey the word of the Lord and ask the Lord to help him be the man he should be. Many of men have failed to lead their family like they should. However, if he is the man, the father, the kind of husband God wants him to be, and if he lifts his family to be everything God wants them to be, one of these days he will reap a good harvest in his children. However, the shifting of gender roles in the past thirty years has been huge. It has happened so quickly that men and women are still trying to sort out what the new roles and rules mean to them although women are no longer expected to be the keepers of the house, in reality, they are in most families and although men are generally open to the successes enjoyed by the women they share their lives with, some still find it hard to celebrate a woman’s triumphs because they feel it attenuates their own. Even though the Bible clearly states the role of a man and a woman many individuals may argue this because the Bible was written a long time ago and they feel such implications do not apply anymore. Yet, the Bible is the word of God and his word is always right and should be abided by no matter how we may feel. Historically, it is important also to note that cultural differences flourish in the emphasis of one’s gender role and in certain societies such assumption in accepted gender norms can also play some part in the definition of gender identity. It will take time to sort out all the assumptions of the changing gender roles of individuals, but new expectations should result in better lives, better relationships, better schools, and better workplaces.

Contemporary American Lit Essay -- essays research papers

Andre Dubus, Raymond Carver and Shirley Jackson have changed the landscape of contemporary fiction both culturally and stylistically. All three comment about the affect upon the individual whose life circumstances have caused them to act the way that they do. When reading their short stories you can't help but notice that Dubus and Carver have very similar styles. Their use of the first person narrative allows them to step back from the story and have less of an interpretive influence. Their lack of total control leaves the reader to use her own logic and rational, while dealing only with perceptions. The first person narrator does not presume to have insight into each characters feelings and emotions. The minimalist details that emanate from this narrative place an importance on our individual perception. This style throws the reader directly into the middle of a scene without any background information or direction. Without a narrative presence telling the reader what to think abo ut a situation and with only fragments of details, we have to rely on what the narrator may or may not know. The reader is immediately put on guard to question the situation. While not all the stories are in first person, a majority of them are. None of these authors appear to be intellectual writers. Dubus' characters are rarely able to escape into abstraction: they exist, at times irritatingly, in the here and now, they drink, commit adultery and break, often beyond repair. Like Carver, his sto...

The Nature of Power Essay -- Power Society Nationalism Essays

The Nature of Power In 1948, the OECD was formed by several European nations in what would become the first step toward the formation of the European Union. The creation of the EU was revolutionary in that nations gave up unprecedented amounts of their sovereignty, resulting in such acts as voluntarily subjecting themselves to monitoring of war materials (coal and steel) and culminating in the institution of the Euro and integration of European economies and societies, and politics. The success of the EU in the last few years is amazing not just because of its economic achievements, but because it signifies the first successful surrender of nationalism and the transfer of loyalty to a regional level, notions which would have been considered impossible at the beginning of the 20th century. Taking into account the strength of nationalism in the 20th century, the phenomena surrounding the formation of the EU are hard to comprehend until the nature of power and its attraction to people is considered. Power plays a large part in human psychology, beginning when the infant cries in order to draw attention to itself and continuing as kids learn exclusion, join cliques, and as adults compete for respect and influence. Power is exercised from the most basic everyday relationships to the international stage. It is the ultimate motivator in society. Accepting this, it is easy to understand that the sacrifices made by the EU were made in the pursuit of greater power through collective unity, which overruled human affiliations with nationalism and the idea of sovereignty. The question we must ask is why power is so powerful a force. Power forms the basis of society because people want to live secure, respected lives. Simmel ... ...rol of an otherwise chaotic existence. Power is the tool for maintaining a stable, and as such a secure life. Once stripped of all excesses and perversions, power comes down to avoiding the unknown and unsafe. It’s all about security. If we can accept that people are naturally predisposed to living secure lives devoid of real danger and instability, it is obvious, especially in these timers, that power is not only the basis of society, but is the one thing constant in life. Sources Cited: Bataille, Georges. Blue of Noon London: Marion Boyars Publishers LTD, 1957 Camus, Albert. The Fall New York: Vintage Books, 1956 Highmore, Ben. Everyday Life and Culture Theory. New York: Routledge, 2002 Kafka, Franz. The Trial New York: Shockden Books, 1998 Quotes Used: Card, Orson Scott. The Crystal City. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2003. The Nature of Power Essay -- Power Society Nationalism Essays The Nature of Power In 1948, the OECD was formed by several European nations in what would become the first step toward the formation of the European Union. The creation of the EU was revolutionary in that nations gave up unprecedented amounts of their sovereignty, resulting in such acts as voluntarily subjecting themselves to monitoring of war materials (coal and steel) and culminating in the institution of the Euro and integration of European economies and societies, and politics. The success of the EU in the last few years is amazing not just because of its economic achievements, but because it signifies the first successful surrender of nationalism and the transfer of loyalty to a regional level, notions which would have been considered impossible at the beginning of the 20th century. Taking into account the strength of nationalism in the 20th century, the phenomena surrounding the formation of the EU are hard to comprehend until the nature of power and its attraction to people is considered. Power plays a large part in human psychology, beginning when the infant cries in order to draw attention to itself and continuing as kids learn exclusion, join cliques, and as adults compete for respect and influence. Power is exercised from the most basic everyday relationships to the international stage. It is the ultimate motivator in society. Accepting this, it is easy to understand that the sacrifices made by the EU were made in the pursuit of greater power through collective unity, which overruled human affiliations with nationalism and the idea of sovereignty. The question we must ask is why power is so powerful a force. Power forms the basis of society because people want to live secure, respected lives. Simmel ... ...rol of an otherwise chaotic existence. Power is the tool for maintaining a stable, and as such a secure life. Once stripped of all excesses and perversions, power comes down to avoiding the unknown and unsafe. It’s all about security. If we can accept that people are naturally predisposed to living secure lives devoid of real danger and instability, it is obvious, especially in these timers, that power is not only the basis of society, but is the one thing constant in life. Sources Cited: Bataille, Georges. Blue of Noon London: Marion Boyars Publishers LTD, 1957 Camus, Albert. The Fall New York: Vintage Books, 1956 Highmore, Ben. Everyday Life and Culture Theory. New York: Routledge, 2002 Kafka, Franz. The Trial New York: Shockden Books, 1998 Quotes Used: Card, Orson Scott. The Crystal City. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, 2003.

Comparison of the Two Deuteronomistic History Sources

When we look at the scripture associated with both of these sources, it is evident that there are differences in the narration of events concerning the rise of David as king of Israel and also in his reign as king. To begin the comparison of these two different sources, the following are observations that I have made concerning stories that are present in the Tremendously History source but absent In the other(priestly) source.To begin with, In 1 Samuel beginning In chapter 17:41 through verse 51, there Is an account of David slaying Goliath when he was a youth, and still small In stature, that Is not In the Chronicles. Then, the accounts of David being Installed In King Sail's court and the subsequent conflict between David and King Saul including Davit's fleeing from Saul and other related events in 1 Samuel 16 through 2 Samuel 1, is not mentioned at all in the Chronicles.Also, the conflict between the house of Saul and the house of David concerning who would be king of all of Isra el after Sail's death that is in 2 Samuel 2 through 2 Samuel 5:3, is not mentioned in the Chronicles. Notably absent from the Chronicles also, is the story of Davit's lust for Batches that resulted in an adulterous affair which precipitated his abuse of power that led to the death of Bather's husband Uriah so that David could take Batches to be his wife.This chain of events, and the devastating results that followed for Davit's family, as a result of this sin, Is recorded In 2 Samuel 11-20. The Chronicler states In 1 Chronicles 1 1 that David was proclaimed king over all of Israel where 2 Samuel 2:4 states that he was appointed king over all of Judas. Also notable, Is the omission of the battle In 2 Samuel 21:18-22, where David is almost killed. Another story that was very violent in tauter that was also omitted in the Chronicles was referenced in 2 Samuel 21:1-14, which is the story of how David had seven of Sail's descendants put to death.The story concerning Abscissa's service to an elderly King David in 1 Kings :1-4, is not present in the Chronicles either. Also, Davit's charge to Solomon concerning avenging the death of Banner and punishing Scheme for the curse that he had placed upon David in 1 Kings 2:1-2, is not noted in the Chronicles When I looked at 1 Chronicles, there were things present in this book that are not mentioned In the Tremendously History source concerning King David.In 1 Chronicles 21 :26, fire consumes Davit's sacrifice which Is not noted In 2 Samuel 24:25. Also, I could not find a narration In the books of Samuel or Kings that paralleled the one In 1 Chronicles 22-29, which tells of David doing much of the preparation for the building implies that there was no opposition to Solomon being appointed the next king, but 1 Kings chapters 1 and 2 tell a different story. In Samuel, the author presents the story of Davit's family, victories over enemies, and recounts the moving of the ark of the covenant.In 1 Chronicles, King Davit's story i s told in a different order; the paving of the ark, family, victories over enemies, and then when the move of the ark is completed. Why is the story told in a different order by each source? In both of the sources, the story of King David is written to preserve the Jewish nation's history, but in a selective way, according to the perspective of the source(author or authors).From the Deterministic History point of view, the books of 1 and 2 Samuel and the first part of the book of 1 Kings that deal with King David, were looking backward and expressing the feelings of penitence. The breaking of the covenant with WHY, at mimes by David, by willful disobedience resulted in consequences. Ultimately, 1 and 2 Kings, show how Israel, under the reign of the Advice monarchy, ending up in captivity.The answer to the question of why King Davit's story is told is a different order by the other(priestly) source than it is by the Deterministic History source is that the other(priestly) source want ed to emphasize King Davit's concern for the worship payoff and for his temple. This aspect of the Advice monarchy is related in order to establish a link between the house of David(monarchy) and the house of Aaron(priests). The other(priestly) source provided an account of an â€Å"unblemished† and glorious king who was victorious over all of Israel's foes.The passages of scripture about David that do not fit this unblemished image were simply left out. This image of King David gave the Israelites hope that as he was so will their Messiah be, perfect and victorious. So, instead of looking to the past, the other(priestly) source sought to look forward in hope to Israel's future. The process of â€Å"critical† reading has been an enlightening one for me. I used The New Oxford Annotated Bible, New Revised Standard Version, that I purchased for this class and I have found t to be an extremely valuable resource.

Types of Chemical Bonds in Proteins

Types of Chemical Bonds in Proteins Proteins are biological polymers constructed from amino acids joined together to form peptides. These peptide subunits may bond with other peptides to form more complex structures.  Multiple types of chemical bonds hold proteins together and bind them to other molecules. Take a closer look at the chemical bonds responsible for protein structure. Peptide Bonds The primary structure of a protein consists of amino acids chained to each other. Amino acids are joined by peptide bonds. A peptide bond is a type of covalent bond between the carboxyl group of one amino acid and the amino group of another amino acid.  Amino acids themselves are made of atoms joined together by covalent bonds. Hydrogen Bonds The secondary structure describes the three-dimensional folding or coiling of a chain of amino acids (e.g., beta-pleated sheet, alpha helix). This three-dimensional shape is held in place by hydrogen bonds. A hydrogen bond is a dipole-dipole interaction between a hydrogen atom and an electronegative atom, such as nitrogen or oxygen.  A single polypeptide chain may contain multiple alpha-helix and beta-pleated sheet regions. Each alpha-helix is stabilized by hydrogen bonding between the amine and carbonyl groups on the same polypeptide chain. The beta-pleated sheet is stabilized by hydrogen bonds between the amine groups of one polypeptide  chain and  carbonyl groups on a second adjacent chain. Hydrogen Bonds, Ionic Bonds, Disulfide Bridges While secondary structure describes the shape of chains of amino acids in space, tertiary structure is the overall shape assumed by the entire molecule, which may contain  regions of both sheets and coils. If a protein consists of one polypeptide chain, a tertiary structure is the highest level of structure.  Hydrogen bonding affects the tertiary structure of a protein. Also, the R-group of each amino acid may be either hydrophobic or hydrophilic. Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions Some proteins are made of subunits in which protein molecules bond together to form a larger unit. An example of such a protein is hemoglobin. Quaternary structure describes how the subunits fit together to form the larger molecule.

Compare characterisation in the Age of Innocence and Poor Things

Compare characterisation in the Age of Innocence and Poor Things I shall be looking at Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton, published in 1920, and Poor Things by Alasdair Gray, published in 1992. Below is a brief synopsis of Age of Innocence; Newland Archer is engaged to May Welland, but when Countess Ellen Olenska comes back from a disastrous marriage, Archer and Olenska are attracted to one another, and by the code of conduct of New York society Archer decides to end this love affair with Ellen and goes back to May.A brief outline of Poor Things is about Godwin Baxter giving life to a woman (Bella) with a child's brain, after she committed suicide while she is pregnant. Bella is then introduced to Archie McCandless, whom she is later engaged to. McCandles is a student along side Godwin at school. Bella then runs away with Duncan Wedderburn, a lawyer. Then Bella returns and marries McCandless, however her family previous to her attepmpt at suicide try to claim, but she denies knowing them.Innocence & Wasp FlybyHowever, at the end we find this story to be false when the wife of McCandles reveals the true life that he had him.In this essay I plan to illustrate the differences and similarities of characterisation between both books, by way of class and how they act to the values within the novel, and how the characters interact with on another.In Age of Innocence, the characters are set in a historical period compared to when the novel was written. The characters represent the close community of New York, and how they abide by the firm yet unwritten rules that regulate the code of conduct of society.Whereas Poor Things shows the expansion of boundaries, and is set in a fictional world, where there are no limitations to what one can do.Therefore, both characterisations in Age of Innocence and Poor Things do highlight the limitations in both environments even though they are both set in different time periods. In Age of Innocence the society in which the Archer Newland lives prevent him from doing as he pleases without being perse cuted and being an outcast. In Poor Things the limitation is not so much science, but others perception of what Baxter has done that is morally wrong, and his limitation is his physical attributes. So generally the characterization is similar in that they are moulded by society's thinking, illustrating the same constraints.